


Best of Foes

by Introverted_Chaos



Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Chiss Inquisitor, Czerka Arms, Czerka compound, Gen, Havoc Squad - Freeform, SW:tOR Chapter 1, Tatooine (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 00:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17254505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introverted_Chaos/pseuds/Introverted_Chaos
Summary: Sith Inquisitor and Bounty Hunter versus Havoc Squad





	Best of Foes

**Author's Note:**

> So I actually wrote this Star Wars: the Old Republic fan fic over a year ago, with the intent of it being an opening salvo to a series of stories about a Sith Inquisitor and Republic Trooper constantly mucking up each other’s plans, with occasional cameos from various other character classes. The intent was to have their rivalry culminate in the Shadow of Revan prelude with Lana and Theron each bringing the Dark Council member and Havoc Squad to investigate the Revanites on Manaan. I've just had too much to deal with and don't know if I'll ever get the chance to continue it. Sitting here on New Year's, unable to sleep because some moron(s) are playing with fireworks just up the street in fourteen-degree weather, I decided to start the year off by posting a story. I don't know if I'll continue or not, but I thought some of you might enjoy it. Thanks, as always for reading, and feedback is always welcome!

“Looks like the Jedi and their astromech went into Czerka’s base, but those commandos and their battle droid are still outside, securing the entrance,” Mako reported, watching through her macros. Her hood might keep Tatooine’s suns from cooking her brains out, but the heat in her face and sand in her undergarments were getting _way_ uncomfortable.

“Good, that means they’ve split up. Thank you, Mako dear,” the Sith Lord acknowledged, frowning as she lifted her own binoculars. “Andronikus, any reports on the Republic’s frequencies? Any sign that they’re sending in reinforcements?”

“Nothing, so far it looks like Havoc Squad and the Jedi are investigating the ruins on their own,” Andronikus confirmed, listening on his headset. “It’s just our shitty luck that the Reps happened to stumble across this whole mess at the same time we did.”

“Luck or the Force,” the Sith mused quietly.

Mako admitted to herself that the Sith terrified her. Though the enormous Chiss woman was incredibly polite and urbane—and had even _flirted_ with Mako—she was… menacing. Tall with those glowing red eyes and black Sith robes and that saberstaff, the woman exuded an aura of death and power. The Sith traveled with a notorious pirate captain and some kind of ancient dark horror, and yet was somehow the most terrifying member of their little cohort.

 _Figure that one out_ , Mako grumped to herself.

“Time to move out?” her boss, Volo, asked, standing and stretching.

“Soon,” the Sith assured him, still watching the entrance. “I want to let those Jedi get a little deeper into the compound before we cut off their escape route. Once we’re done here, we’ll see to your Devaronian problem.”

Mako continued to frown as she watched the Republic soldiers go about their work. Between the battle droid and commandos, they hadn’t really needed help from the Jedi and his Padawan in clearing up the Czerka-zombies, or whatever they were. The three soldiers wore desert-patterned armor with Republic insignias on the shoulders. Their battle droid was also all kinds of high-tech impressive, and Mako dreaded the thought of fighting it.

But her boss was confident in their success, and their Sith ally was supposed to be crazy-powerful as well. Plus they had a slight numbers advantage now that the Jedi had split from the troopers. So hopefully this would be just another fight.

She glanced back at her boss as he slipped his helmet on and ran a quick last-minute diagnostic of his weapons and battle-armor. A skilled Zabrak hunter, Volo was the only one Mako had left after Braden and Jory were murdered. In truth, Mako was frequently uncomfortable with Volo’s ruthlessness, with his willingness to fight dirty, backstab, and even execute unarmed prisoners. But at the same time, he was kind toward her and treated her as an equal in their ventures as part of the Great Hunt.

That had to count for something, _right_?

Mako frowned and went back to watching the Republic soldiers. They’d set up defensive barricades above the entryway to the Czerka compound—giving them cover and high ground in any attempted assault on the bunker. It looked like their lieutenant and medic had decided to cover the north side of the entry, while the sniper and battle droid covered the south side.

“Khem, Andronikus, keep the battle droid and Cathar busy while I aid our mercenary friends in dealing with the lieutenant and medic,” the Sith ordered, pointing to each side of the entryway in turn. “Mako, Volo, distract the lieutenant while I slip in from behind and eliminate the medic.”

“Time for some stellar heroics!” Volo laughed as he mounted their swoop. Mako put her macros away and turned to join him.

“And, Mako?” the Sith murmured, suddenly right behind her and leaning next to her ear.

“Yes?” Mako gasped, startled as she turned to face the towering Sith. Mako stared, entranced by those glowing red eyes and the blaster-scar across the Sith’s aristocratic cheek and nose. She found herself eerily drawn to the enormous woman’s powerful aura and surprisingly affectionate expression. Mako bit her lower lip nervously as the Sith placed a gentle hand on her cheek.

“Do try to come back in one piece, dear,” the Sith requested, lifting Mako’s hood enough to lean down and kiss her forehead.

Mako nodded, unable to reply as the Sith took her hand away. Confused by the touch, Mako stumbled backward a pace or two before turning to mount the swoop behind Volo. Adjusting her goggles, she turned back to watch the Sith woman leave. Though powerful and intimidating, there was something enticing about this Sith. There was something about the way she moved and talked and fought that made Mako long to go to bed with her, to please her and make her happy. She didn’t even know this woman’s _name_ , but suddenly desired to make love to her.

 _Figure_ that _one out_.

Mako shook her head to clear it as Volo started the swoop’s engine. When she looked back, the Sith had vanished, fading into the desert without leaving so much as a footprint.

* * *

* * *

Lieutenant Zara scanned the surrounding dunes with her macros as she and Sergeant Dorne crouched behind their makeshift barricades. Sergeant Jorgan and M1-4X had set up their own positions to cover the far side of the entryway from any attacks. They’d completed their business here on Tatooine, apprehending the traitor Fuse and confiscating his bombs from the Imperials. The Lieutenant was ready to be away from this damned dust ball and had a desperate need to scrub three-days’ worth of sand from her ass crack. But duty to the Republic called.

Master Toorni, a Mirilan Jedi Knight, had requested Havoc Squad’s aid in dealing with some kind of ancient weapon or device that Czerka Corporation had unearthed in the desert. The Jedi and her Padawan, Kira, had tracked down some kind of forgotten lab deep in the Dune Sea, and apparently some maniac from Czerka was looking to recover it as well. Plus they’d gotten an inkling that the Imperials might also be looking for this place. Calling in a favor, Master Toorni had asked Zara and her squad to secure the entrance while the Jedi and their astromech investigated the site.

“Jorgan, we’ve got movement,” Zara barked into her helmet com, leaning forward with her binocs. She zoomed in on a plume of dust visible between two dunes. “East by northeast, looks like a swoop,” she added as the silhouette approached.

“I see it,” Jorgan’s voice confirmed over the com.

“Sir! If I may report, it appears Sergeant Jorgan and I have incoming of our own!” came M1-4X’s alert.

“He’s right,” Jorgan agreed. Zara spared a quick glance in their direction. A second swoop veered around a dune vectoring toward Jorgan’s position. “Shall we arrange the usual reception?” Jorgan asked.

“Since when do we do anything the ‘usual’ way, Sergeant?” Elara asked in that crisp Dromund Kaas accent that Zara never tired of listening to.

“Just do what we do best,” Zara ordered as the swoops neared.

“The hell is _that_?” Jorgan asked.

Zara frowned and spared another glance at the far swoop. Though the pilot looked to be another armored mercenary, the swoop’s passenger was a towering, muscle-bound grey giant with a massive vibro-sword.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Zara scowled through her binocs.

“I’m double-checking my records, but I believe the creature is called a ‘Dashade,’” 4X put in. “According to reports, a Chiss Sith Apprentice to one Darth Zash was recently seen on Nar Shaddaa with a ‘large, grey-skinned creature,’ tentatively identified as an ancient Dashade.”

“So where’s our Chiss Apprentice?” Zara scowled deeper, zooming in on the closer swoop. Though one rider was helmed and the other hooded, neither looked particularly Sith.

Jorgan got the first shot in with his sniper-rifle, striking the swoop’s pilot in the chest, but not piercing his shield and battle armor. The pilot skidded the swoop to a halt, turning it sideways as the Dashade or whatever it was leapt from the back and charged Jorgan and 4X’s position. The pilot crouched behind the swoop, providing the beast with cover-fire.

Zara and Elara opened up on their attackers once in range, several bolts striking the front of the swoop or the pilot’s armor. The swoop-jockey skidded his swoop to a halt as well, then fired up his jetpack to close the distance while his passenger used the swoop as cover.

Instead of firing at her opponent, Zara met him with the butt of her rifle as he landed in front of her. The blow caught the mercenary in the chin, stumbling him back and throwing off his assault. Zara vaulted the barricade to engage the merc hand-to-hand. She slashed her gauntlet-blade at his throat, clipping his helmet as he dodged back.

The mercenary was good, Zara acknowledged as they scuffled. His tactic of closing the distance and getting in his opponent’s face likely would have worked perfectly against the average Republic rifleman who was only moderately skilled in close-quarters combat.

 _But you’re in_ my _domain now, merc_.

While Elara exchanged fire with the merc taking cover behind the swoop, Zara pressed her assault against the off-balance attacker. Her blade gouged the mercenary’s armor as he charged in again, attempting to bring his flame-thrower to bear. She deflected the weapon up and away with her rifle, then slashed at him again, this time drawing blood and taking a chunk from his armor. The fire blast dissipated into the air, harmlessly away from her or Elara.

The merc attacked with his own vibro-blade, managing to gouge Zara’s shoulder armor as she dodged back. Stepping in for another strike, she could tell the merc was desperate. His usual MO of rocketing in with blaster and flamethrower blazing wasn’t working on her, and he didn’t know how to adjust. She grabbed his gun-arm with her left hand, then twisted sharply to break his arm.

Screaming and off-balance, the mercenary attempted to wrench his arm from her grip, only to injure it further. Zara released his arm, then gut-checked him with her rifle. As the merc doubled over, she slashed her glove-blade across his throat, dropping him to the duracrete.

“ _No!_ ” came the second merc’s pained scream as she began to rise from cover. Two quick shots from Elara’s pistol clipped the girl’s right side and shoulder, spinning her to the sand.

“Oh-ho! Take that, foul Imperial beast!” came M1-4X’s boast over the helmet-com. “You weren’t expecting to face the galaxy’s most highly advanced war-droid, were you?” Zara spared a glance as a rocket volley blasted the Deshade creature off of the bunker’s entryway.

“Secure the prisoner, Elara,” Zara ordered, turning to the sergeant. “I’ll help the rest of the squad with— _down!_ ” she barked as a looming shape materialized behind Elara.

A fraction of a second into her dive, Elara’s training and reflexes were all that saved her life as the shape’s lightsaber ignited and slashed her across the back. Elara cried out as her armor’s cortosis weave only barely deflected the blow.

Firing two quick shots, Zara charged the Sith, leaping over the barricade. The Sith deflected both bolts with her saber-staff, then dodged back as Zara’s blade slashed through the air where her head had been.

The Sith was definitely Chiss, judging from the glowing eyes behind the hood. Her robes were the traditional Sith-black, though greyed considerably from Tatooine’s sand and dust. The Sith was massive and imposing, an aura of dark power permeating her very core.

 _I can’t beat this woman_ , the thought entered Zara’s mind as she dodged an attack from the Sith’s saber. Sparks scattered as the tip gouged a mark in her helmet. Zara banished the thought from her head as she stepped in again, trying to keep inside the saber’s effective range. Whether it was her own tactical assessment or some Force-thing the Sith was doing, those kinds of defeatist thoughts weren’t going to help any.

The Sith evaded a grapple attempt as Zara tried to grip her saber-arm. Zara found herself thrown backward as some wave of energy or Force-attack engulfed her momentarily. She landed on her back, rolling to her feet by sheer reflex. Not letting up, the Sith closed the distance again, saber in motion. Zara barely escaped once again, the saber-staff gouging her chest plate this time. Switching directions, the Sith spun again, slicing the barrel off the lieutenant’s rifle.

Another Force-shove slammed Zara backward to the duracrete, knocking the wind out of her. She felt her breath stolen again as the Sith grabbed her throat in a Force-grip and lifted her from the ground. Zara struggled as an invisible vice clamped around her windpipe, slowly crushing the life from her.

“Such a pity,” the Sith commented with surprising sincerity. “You know, I find that I rather _like_ you, Lieutenant. I genuinely wish I didn’t have to kill you now. Though, I’ll understand if you don’t exactly accept my apology.”

“ _More incoming!_ ” Jorgan hollered over Zara’s helmet com.

Volleys of heavy-blaster fire and a series of explosions cut off the Sith’s next comments. Still keeping Zara aloft, the Chiss turned toward the new threat. Vision blurring, Zara tried to focus as six open-air skiffs roared down the face of a nearby dune to the north. Heavy blasters blazing, a half-dozen Czerka mercenaries in each skiff fired on the Sith and Havocs alike.

Snorting with annoyance, the Sith woman dropped Zara to the duracrete. Barely able to rise, Zara watched as the Sith made an impossible jump from the bunker to one of the passing skiffs. In a single spin she decapitated all six of the Czerka thugs as she landed. Running the length of the skiff, she leapt to the next skiff, deflecting a few hastily aimed bolts in midair.

Coughing and rising to her knees, Zara ripped a fragmentary grenade from her belt and lobbed it into the passing skiff a second after the Sith landed. The grenade exploded another second later, throwing the Sith into the nearby dune. The skiff itself crashed headlong into the sand, tossing debris and the bodies of the Czerka guards in all directions. Drawing her pistol, Zara dropped to her chest and opened fire on the remaining skiffs. She saw Elara do the same from her barricade.

* * *

* * *

Grimacing as he watched the explosion throw his boss from the skiff, Andronikus ducked back behind his swoop, expecting another volley from that damned sniper. The volley never came, as the sniper opened up on the incoming skiffs.

 _So this isn’t reinforcements from the Republic_ , he realized. Looking again, he saw the distinctive Czerka uniforms on the skiffs’ occupants.

Another series of explosions hit close by. Andronikus lifted his head in time to see Khem Val’s unconscious form land a few meters away—victim of another rocket volley from that damned battle-droid.

 _Bugger this_ , he decided. Leaping from cover, Andronikus rushed to the Dashade’s body and hoisted its arm over his shoulder. Half-carrying, half-dragging, he hauled the unconscious beast back to his swoop. Draping Khem over the back of the seat, he leapt aboard and fired up the engine. Too busy with the incoming Czerka, the Reps didn’t fire a single shot at him as Andronikus sped toward the Sith’s unconscious black form. Leaning way over and steering with one hand, he slowed down and stretched an arm out to grip his boss by the waist. Draping her over the front of his seat, he accelerated to as fast as the overladen swoop could handle and rocketed over the dunes.

* * *

* * *

Zara managed to plug two Czerka thugs from one of the remaining skiffs when one of 4X’s rocket barrages blasted the vehicle straight to hell. Its burning remains tumbled across the dunes, throwing fiery debris in all directions before exploding.

Whoever was in charge apparently declared _bugger-all_ on the whole fighting thing, turning the lead skiff sharply and motoring straight for the entrance. Jorgan managed to snipe a heavy gunner off the back of one before the skiffs roared into the dark confines of the facility.

“Master Toorni, you’ve got incoming,” Zara reported over her com as she rose. “A band of Imperials and a taskforce of Czerka attacked at almost the same time. We drove off the Imperials, but three of the Czerka skiffs made it inside. Expect eighteen-to-twenty well-armed thugs.”

“Thank you for the warning, Lieutenant,” Master Toorni assured her. “We’ll be ready.”

“Jorgan, are you in any shape to pursue?” Zara asked next. “They’ll eventually have to ditch the skiff and continue on foot.”

“Yes, sir,” Jorgan confirmed.

“Don’t engage directly, but harry their rearguard if you get a chance and keep Master Toorni apprised of their progress,” she ordered, stepping over to help Elara to her feet.

“Yes, sir,” Jorgan said again, dropping from his perch and jogging into the Czerka base.

“You alright, Elara?” Zara asked her sergeant.

“Yes, sir,” she confirmed, still leaning against her. “A bit of a burn across my back and my armor is damaged, but it’s nothing we can’t repair.”

“Good, let’s see to our prisoner,” Zara nodded, releasing her. “4X, keep an eye out for any new trouble.”

“Affirmative, Lieutenant!” 4X declared. “I shall keep all of my ocular, audial, olfactory, and other scanning apparatuses at full alert!”

“I… should apologize, sir,” Elara confessed as they made their way to the wounded mercenary. “I was not that grievously wounded by the Sith’s initial assault, and yet I couldn’t bring myself to fire upon her. I cowered like a child instead of coming to your aid. And for that I am sorry, sir.”

“Don’t be,” Zara shook her head, reaching over to pat Elara’s armored spaulder. “One of the first things we learned about fighting Sith is that they have the ability to use the Force to get into your head and mess with your thoughts. Artificial fear is one of their favorite tactics.”

“That’s kind of you to say, sir, but regardless I promise to do better in the future.”

“And I’d expect nothing less,” Zara assured her.

The mercenary girl was attempting to pull herself upright against her swoop with her uninjured arm when she saw the troopers approach. Panicking, the merc scrambled for her fallen blaster but found herself looking into Zara and Elara’s pistols before she could even raise her gun. Dropping the weapon, the girl lowered her forehead to the swoop’s seat and started sobbing.

“Just relax, kid,” Zara assured her, holstering her blaster and doffing her helmet. “You’re gonna be fine so long as you don’t do anything stupid or suicidal. Pointing a gun at two Republic commandos qualifies as both of those things. Do you mind if the sergeant sees to your injuries?”

“I–I don’t care anymore,” the merc sobbed, not looking up at them as Zara crouched in front of her and Elara crouched next to her injured arm.

“Don’t care if we see to your injuries or don’t care if we shoot you?” Zara asked.

“Any of it! Anything!” the girl glared, coughing and weeping. “I don’t care about _any_ of this awful war business anymore! Baden, Jory, Anuli, and now Volo: every single friend I’ve ever had is _dead_ , and–and I just d–don’t care anymore!”

“This is kind of a dangerous business you’ve gotten yourself into, kid,” Zara said, hoping she sounded sympathetic as Elara scanned the girl’s injuries. “What’s your name?” she added, recognizing that some stocky Republic soldier with a blaster scar across her face and a cybernetic eyepatch likely wasn’t the easiest person to open up to. “I’m Lieutenant Zara, this is Sergeant Dorne.”

“Charmed,” Elara said, doffing her helmet and digging through her medical pouch.

“I… um, I’m Mako,” the merc hesitated, surprised.

“You’re a mercenary?” Zara asked next.

“Bounty hunter,” Mako shook her head, grimacing when Elara started to apply a kolto patch to her wounded shoulder. “We just do… _did_ mercenary work for the Empire while on jobs.”

Zara nodded, not surprised. Frowning, she let her ocular implant run a brief scan of Mako’s cybernetics. “You’re a slicer?” she hazarded.

“I… yeah, I am. I also have experience as a medic.”

“And you know your way around a pistol,” Zara admitted. The comment seemed to help Mako relax. “Got any formal military training, Mako?”

“No, why, are you offering me a job or something?” Mako asked, her suspicion returning.

“I was thinking about it, but without actual soldierly training that’s probably not a good idea,” Zara told her. “On the other hand, Jonas Balkar with the SIS owes me a couple favors. If you want, I can talk to him about offering you a job with the spooks. I’d bet they could use someone of your talents. Interested?”

“I… am, kind of,” Mako frowned, considering. She was silent a moment as Elara continued to patch up her shoulder. “I learned that my sister Coral might be somehow connected to the SIS. I–I tell you what, if your Jonas Balkar guy can help me find her, I’ll take your offer.”

“That’ll be between you and Jonas, but I can arrange the meeting,” Zara assured her. “I’ll make you a deal, Mako; if you cooperate and answer any questions we’ve got, I’ll contact Jonas.”

Mako seemed to focus on something in the distance for a long moment. “Yeah, okay. You’ve got a deal,” she decided at last.

* * *

* * *

“I take it the remainder of the battle didn’t go well,” the Sith’s voice came as Andronikus dug out their medical supplies. He looked over as she sat up against their swoop in the evening light. Her hood tossed back and black hair unkempt, the huge Sith looked no less intimidating.

“You could say that,” he agreed, motioning to the Dashade’s battered, unconscious form.

“I see you didn’t retrieve Mako,” the Sith commented. “A pity, that.”

“I didn’t exactly have time to—” he started to grouse.

“Oh, no, I’m certain you did the best you could. The fact that you got Khem and I both out alive is a testament to your prowess,” she said, reaching over to pull a canteen and take a long drink before continuing. “I simply liked Mako and had hoped to bring her to our cause. Why else do you think I let her leader get himself killed before I struck?”

“Wait, you got Volo killed on purpose? Why?” Andronikus blinked, taken aback.

“The Zabrak was skilled, there’s no taking that from him,” the Sith acknowledged. “But the thought of him lasting toe-to-toe against the commander of one of the Republic’s most elite commando units is almost laughable.” She shook her head. “No, Volo was useful as little more than a distraction. I merely let him live up to that potential.

“Mako, on the other hand,” she continued after taking another drink, “Mako is extremely useful. Though merely competent with a blaster, she’s the most brilliant slicer I’ve ever encountered and a better-than-competent medic—neither of which we have on our crew. How better to woo her aboard our ship than to offer her a home after she’s lost hers? Was she alive after the battle?”

“Probably,” Andronikus shrugged, partly to ignore the sour taste in his mouth at his boss’s idea of coercion. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to go back for her?”

“Of course not,” the Sith shook her head. “Havoc's new commander hasn't the reputation for murdering wounded prisoners, so I'm confident Mako will be fine. And besides, Khem needs healing and I need healing and we’ve still a few loose ends to deal with.”

“Like the Czerka facility?”

She shook her head again. “No, the Jedi will most likely have destroyed whatever they found down there by now. I might someday investigate as a matter of personal curiosity, but right now there’s not much to be gained by finding out what it _could have_ been. We’ve frankly more pressing matters.”

“Y’know, you’re not like other Sith I’ve met,” Andronikus admitted to her and to himself.

“I would hope not,” was all she said.

**Author's Note:**

> M1-4X's dialogue is so much fun to write.


End file.
